James Wilkinson

James Wilkinson by Charles Willson Peale; Independence National Historical Park Collection in Philadelphia, PA.

James Wilkinson is most remembered for committing treason although never convicted of that crime. According to President Theodore Roosevelt, “in all our history, there is no more despicable character.”

Born in 1757 Wilkinson was married twice. His study of medicine was interrupted by the Revolutionary War. Commissioned a Captain in 1776 (later backdated to 1775), he served as an aide to Generals Nathaniel Greene at Boston and Benedict Arnold during the retreat from Canada. Appointed a brigade-major in 1776, Wilkinson became a deputy adjutant general for General Horatio Gates in 1777 and was present during the Battles of Saratoga, intriguing to create animosity between Gates and Arnold. Worse, he was responsible for the erroneous, widely held belief that Arnold was relieved of command before the second Battle of Saratoga and had nothing to do with that battle plan. Ordered by Gates to deliver his battle report to Congress, Wilkinson tarried and embellished his own role in the victory to the extent he was brevetted a brigadier general despite being only 20 years old. His intriguing and self-serving ways would continue.

After Saratoga, he was suspected of being part of the clique of officers, including Gates, who were maneuvering to garner authority rivaling Washington’s. Wilkinson was compelled to resign by Gates in 1778. He had another chance when Congress appointed him clothier-general of the Army in 1779 but resigned in 1781 due to “lack of aptitude.”

Following the Revolutionary War, Wilkinson moved to Kentucky in 1784, where he was active in efforts to obtain independence from Virginia. He crossed the bridge to treason in 1787 when he made a trip to New Orleans, capital of Spanish Louisiana, and met with the governor seeking trading advantages for Kentucky. Wilkinson swore allegiance to the King of Spain and suggested that Kentucky become a Spanish protectorate. Working as Spanish “Agent 13,” Wilkinson led efforts to separate Kentucky from Virginia and prevent its’ joining the United States. Unable to garner support for the latter, Wilkinson again approached the Spanish Colonial governor of New Orleans with a surprising proposition: a grant of 60,000 acres of land in the Mississippi Valley which he would govern as a Spanish protectorate. Additionally, he requested—and received—a pension from the Kingdom of Spain. While the Spanish government eventually quashed Wilkinson’s land and pension scheme, he continued to trade secrets for Spanish money for decades. Wilkinson’s efforts with Spain were suspected by the U.S. government but never proven.

There was a rivalry with Anthony Wayne to become the head of the U.S. Army. President Washington opted for Wayne who feuded with Wilkinson over his performance in that role. At this time Wilkinson had renewed his contacts with Spain and payments from the Governor of Louisiana were intercepted. Wayne attempted to court-martial Wilkinson but died before that occurred. There was no court-martial. Wilkinson succeeded Wayne as Senior Officer of the Army in 1796, his first of two appointments to that position. His second lasted from 1800–12.

As Senior Officer under President Jefferson he shared in taking possession of the Louisiana Purchase for the United States in 1803 but continued his intrigue with Spain providing them advice on how to prevent the United States from encroaching upon Spanish territory in exchange for restoration of his pension. He also participated in the conspiracy by Aaron Burr in 1804-06 to establish as independent nation from western states and territories of the United States during the time he was the first Governor of Louisiana Territory. Although Burr was acquitted, suspicions about Wilkinson’s part in the matter grew, eventually resulting in a court-martial in 1811 that resulted in his exoneration.

During the War of 1812, Major General Wilkinson led a successful campaign in Spanish Florida and two unsuccessful ones in the St. Lawrence River theater. One year after he was discharged from the army in 1815, Wilkinson was named U.S. Envoy to Mexico and was in that position in 1821 when that nation won its independence from Spain. There, he again conspired with a foreign government, the Republic of Mexico, to enrich himself with a Texas land grant which would fall under that government’s protection. He died in Mexico City in 1825 and is buried there.

Perhaps this was the longest conspiracy ever conducted against the United States lasting from 1787 into the 1820’s.